This January full moon falls on what would have been Betty White's 100th birthday and on MLK Day! It's a day for me to think about these two remarkable and loving pillars of our society while feeling the pull of this pristine full moon. I've always felt that both Martin Luther King and Betty White, although very different in their life's work, have both represented love, following your dreams and your heart and inspiring us to be more empathic, forgiving, inclusive and just.

January's birthstone is Garnet, so I've combined it with Rainbow Moostone to bring in the healing powerful energies of these two gemstones that seem to really correlate with the day.

According to charmsoflight.com, "Garnet cleanses and re-energises the chakras. It revitalises, purifies and balances energy, bringing serenity or passion as appropriate. Inspires love and devotion. Garnet balances the sex drive and alleviates emotional disharmony. It activates and strengthens the survival instinct, bringing courage and hope. Stimulates past-life recall. Sharpens perceptions of oneself and others. Garnet removes inhibitions and taboos. It opens the heart and bestows self-confidence.

Garnet regenerates the body and stimulates the metabolism. It treats disorders of the spine and spinal fluid, bone, cellular structure and composition. Purifies the heart, lungs, blood and regenerates DNA. Garnet boosts the immune system and energy levels."

firemountaingems.com says, "Moonstone is often called the visionary's stone. It helps us see things more clearly. Rainbow moonstone is thought to bring balance, harmony and hope while enhancing creativity, compassion, endurance and inner confidence. Rainbow moonstone is believed to help strengthen intuition and psychic perception, especially offering us visions of things that aren't immediately obvious. Because it helps us avoid tunnel vision, we are able to see other possibilities. It's like a flash of inspiration that comes when we are open and quiet. When we wear rainbow moonstone, life-changing inspirations can happen more and more often."

The short strand is 17 2/3 inches long and the longest is 21 inches long. I used a fancy silver plated brass slide and lock clasp to finish this piece.

Both perfect as a birthday gift for January people or a lovely Valentine's Day gift, this commemorative creation is beautiful and beneficial.